Current Market Price for the Georgia Insurance Commissioner Gig +$725,000

Such a deal.

The control freaks over at the Marietta Daily Journal have a nifty little article up about the republican run off between Maria "Ox's Girl" Sheffield and Ralph "Huggie Bear" Hudgens that reveals startling information about the high cost of the Office Of the Insurance Commissioner. I left a small post in my wake and we'll see if it makes the cut with the editorial staff over there as the day progresses. I not, I'll put it up here.

It seems that Ralph has already dropped $400,000 bucks so far and the fair Maria blew $125,000 to survive the primary. They also expect to spend an additional $200,000 over the next three weeks to see which one of them advances to the general election.

Wow.

$725,000 between those two alone. I don't know the exact numbers from the rest of the crew that was running, but lets call that a conservative $75,000 and tack in on the total to bring up the number to a cool $800,000. That's a lot of money and a lot of time and energy for an statewide office that has a salary of $120,000 a year. Of course the payoff's are huge, just look at the Ox's track record. Where else in Georgia can you shake down the companies you regulate for enough money to build a $2 Million dollar warchest for political activity?

I'm amused by both candidates assertions that their experiences as either a tool for the out going administration or as a Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee and port-a-potty manager is the panacea for success in the job. I don't have any of that kind of experience, but I know enough to hire smart people to run the office and right now there are some really smart people with good ideas that might be available for the job.